Language Group: Warlpiri
Born: c 1925 Yuendumu

Judy Watson was born at Yarungkanji, Mt. Doreen Station, around 1935, at the time when many Warlpiri and other Central and Western Desert Peoples were living a traditional nomadic life. With her family Judy made many trips on foot to her country and lived for long periods at Mina Mina and Yingipurlangu, her ancestral country on the border of the Tanami and Gibson Deserts. These places are rich in bush tucker such as wanakiji, bush plums, yakajirri, bush tomatoes, and wardapi, sand goanna. Judy still frequently goes hunting in the country west of Yuendumu, near her homelands.
Her elder sister, Maggie Napangardi Watson, taught Judy painting. She painted alongside her at Warlukurlangu art centre for a number of years, developing her own unique style.
Though a very tiny woman Judy has had ten children, two of whom she has outlived. She is a woman of incredible energy; this is transmitted to her work through her dynamic use of colour, and energetic 'dragged dotting' style.

This Dreaming describes the journey of a group of women who travelled east gathering food and Ngalyipi, which is the snake vine that grows up the Desert Oak trees. It is used for a ceremonial rope when making witi poles. The women performed ceremonies on their journeys; they eventually finished beyond Walpiri country. In the painting the wavy lines represent the Ngalyipi and the circles represent an edible fungus called Desert Truffle. The concentric circles represent the Desert Oaks and the U shapes the women sitting around them.


This Dreaming describes the journey of a group of women who travelled east gathering food and Ngalyipi, which is the snake vine that grows up the Desert Oak trees. It is used for a ceremonial rope when making witi poles. The women performed ceremonies on their journeys; they eventually finished beyond Walpiri country. In the painting the wavy lines represent the Ngalyipi and the circles represent an edible fungus called Desert Truffle. The concentric circles represent the Desert Oaks and the U shapes the women sitting around them.

About the painting - Dreaming at Mina Mina

This Dreaming describes the journey of a group of women who travelled east gathering food and Ngalyipi, which is the snake vine that grows up the Desert Oak trees. It is used for a ceremonial rope when making witi poles. The women performed ceremonies on their journeys; they eventually finished beyond Walpiri country. In the painting the wavy lines represent the Ngalyipi and the circles represent an edible fungus called Desert Truffle. The concentric circles represent the Desert Oaks and the U shapes the women sitting around them.